Method of and tool for replacing broken hammer-butt springs



Dec. 18 35923; I 1,477,6516) w. J. TIFFANY METHOD OF AND TOOL FORREPLACING BROKEN HAMMER BUTT SPRINGS Filed July 15 1.922

Patented Dec. 18, i923.

dTATES "WILLIAM JAMES TIFFANY, 0F BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF AND TOOL FOR REPLACING BROKEN HAlVIIiIEB-BUTT SPRINGS.

Application filed July 15,

and particularly to a method of and tool for replacing broken hammerbutt springs in an upright piano action.

The usual butt spring consists of a length of wire having a coil betweenits ends to give the spring its resiliency, a straight fastening endwhich is attached to the hammer spring rail of the piano action and anupturned bearing end which bears against the hammer butt to return thehammer after it has been projected against the piano string by thedepression of the key. In the usual upright piano action, the fasteningends of the springs are drawn through small holes drilled in the springrail when the piano action is assembled.

The replacement of these springs, when broken, is a matter ofconsiderable difliculty, due to their general inaccessibility after thepiano action has been assembled. The physical presence ofthe hammers andother parts of the piano action, and the particular manner in which theoriginal springs are mounted in the spring rail are all factors whichmake the replacement of a broken spring by the usual methods a long,tedious task involvin removal of the spring rail, and often times otherparts as well of the piano action.

Moreover, the replacement spring is apt to be unsatisfactory because of.the difficulty of drawing up the spring tightly in the hole of thespring rail. Where the spring is loosely attached, it will wabblerelative to the hammer which it is supposed to return and will notreturn the hammer promptly.

To the end therefore of overcoming these objections I have devised mypresent invention. According to my invention, the re placement springsare tacked to the spring rail instead ofbeing threaded through the holesin said rail, as has been the previous practice. In carrying out myinvention I provide a novel form of tool for initially forming a tackholding loop in the replace ment spring and for subsequently as- 1922.Serial No. 575,398.

sembling said formed spring and its attaching tack in position forattachment to the spring rail.

As contemplated herein, such tool com prises a pair of crossed handlemembers having oppositely disposed forming and as sembling jaws. Thereplacement spring is temporarily mounted upon the forming jaw of thetool, by lodging its spring coil over a retaining pin on said jaw, andis then bent around an anvil on said jaw to form between the ends of thespring a tack holding loop. The formed spring is then transferred to andreleasably lodged upon the assembling jaw of the tool, by lodging itsspring coil over a retaining pin on said jaw, a tack is inserted in saidtack holding loop, and the free end of the spring is temporarily clampedbeneath a spring clip on said jaw.

The jaws are then laid against opposite faces I of the piano spring railand when brought towards each other will press the tack firmly andaccurately into the wooden s ring rail at the desired point. The end oft e spring anchored under said clip is then disengaged leaving thespring accurately tacked in place upon the spring rail ofthe pianoaction.

By my invention, it is possible to work from the front of the pianoaction between the hammer stems at any desired point without removingthe hammer spring rail or any other part of the action from the piano.The spring, moreover, is securely fastened in position and will notwabble relative to its hammer, as usually happens when a spring isreplaced by the old method. The tool itself is of simple inexpensiveconstruction and light weight and conveniently fits within the usualpiano tuners kit roll.

The manner of practicing my invention together with a form of tool andreplacement spring which I have found satisfactory in use, are describedand illustrated in the accompanying specification and drawings and thecharacteristic features of novelty are particularly pointed out in theappended claims. Throughout the specification and drawings likereference characters are correspondingly employed. 7

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical section throug the piano action of anupright piano and indicating the use of my device.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of my device.

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

.80 by a sidewise freeing movement of the tool,

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail iews illustrating the of: the device in forminga replacement spring.

Fig. dis a view of the usual hammer butt spring, and. s

Fig. 7 is a view of a replacement spring afterit hasbeen'bent to formthe tack holdin loop in accordance with my invention.

l have indicated at 1, Fig. 1,'the hammer stern rail of an nprigt pianoaction of sthn'dard', tape, a 2 h e ha m r sp g a at 3'a'hammer stennat4- the hammer butt, .5 the ha nrner shank, at 6 the back stop and; 7 ther nsnal hanimer butt spring which is fastened at one endS to the hamme;spring rail; usna'llybyihreading said end thn'ongh a hole drilled insaid rail, and at'its opposite end 9 bears against the hamhiitt li andbetween its ends is proifided i a coil 10 to give resiliency to thespring. According to invention, the replace springs are tacked to thehammer spriingrailat the proper points, rather than he ingftlr alvn'hlQngh the usual holes drilled rates rail, has been the previouspractice, thereby obyiatling the necessity of removleast the pianospring rail and sometiriies other parts of the action, as is necessewnthe erdi l wi erai mth d, and permitting accossfto the springs from theZ on-t oi the'pianQ action without disassemil'i s. intranet the, atiollr se tre these results by means of a novel too which is once both aamps for. formi e'i the i r s fer t at ma t t t i s tau and 'for'"attaching said spning. here, showni suoh tool consists of a pair of asad handle s n 11' a 2 wh l 3QPtV t ash Qths: t nd of the generalpliersftype. its operative end the ha'dlefll earrie's a hea or aw 14 ofi y. flat rectangular shape and the .o a r s tn a z he de jaw appositethe head 14,.

Ihehead; 14 1s a. forming. head. and at one cornei'l isproyidedfwithpair of projections, 16] and 17. di posed at right angles" to eaoliothei or asfl iere'. shown with a single rightangled, pinwhich isembedded in said head and fastened thereto in any suitable ma m j.

head 15 oi the handle member 12 is an assembling-head and is providedopposite the forming; mandrel 1 6 17fwith a cente ingfpinZO oner whichthe. coil 10: of the r g is, adapted to be edged when the istnansiierred from the, heady 14; to the head 1 5 andata.ck Tlodged; intheloop 19', asillustrated in attaching the nelpla ceinent spring showninf Fig 6, the coil 10 thereof is temporarily lodged: over one of'theforniing projections lfi. l'Z of the head 14, and the free orfashiningvv end: set the ire is Wrapped around th other of saidprojeci,477,eio

tions ina plurality of turns to form the tack holding loop 19. Theformed spring is then bodily removed from the head 14 and applied to thehead 15 with its coil 10 lodged over the centering'pin 20 of said head,the head of a tack T is lodged within the loop 19 of said spring, and:the end 8 of the spring is drawn beneath the spring clip '21, whereuponany excess length of wire at the end 8 beyond the tack T may be out off;The spring and tack are thus releasably clamped in assembled position onthe head 15. The tool is next inserted as a pair of pliers againstopposite sides of the Wooden spring rail 2, as indicated at Fig. 1, andthe tack pressed rather than hammered into the under face of said rail.After the tack is set, the repair man dis-.- lodges the end 8 of thespring from beneath the spring holding clip 21 and also slides the coil10 from the centering pin 20 by a lateral freeing movement of the toolas a whole and withdraws the tool from the action. Th spring is thusaccurately and positively fastened to the spring rail by the tack Twhich constitutes the sole means of attachment, and the replacementoperation has been performed from the front of the piano action withoutdisassembling the action and in considerably less time than isrequiredby the old method of threading the replacement springs throughthe holes in the spring rail. V 7

Various modifications in the manner of and apparatus for practicing myinvention may obviously be resorted to within the limits of the appendedclainis.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Themethod of replacing the hammer butt spring of a piano action whichconsists in providin the replacement springs With a tack holding portiondisposed to releasably retain a tack with its point positioned forpenetration into one faceof the hammer spring rail of the piano action,in temporarily assembling said spring and tack upon an inserting device,in applying saiddevice to oppositejfaces of the spring rail to press thetack into one face of said rail, and in' disengaging the spring fromsaid device and withdrawing said device from the piano action.

2: The method of rep-lacing the hammer butt spring of a piano actionwhich con sists in providing the replacement spring with a tack holdingportion disposed to retain a tack with its point positioned forpenetrationdnto one face of the hammer spring rail of the piano action,in lodging a tack in said holding portion of the spring, and, inpressing the tack. While so held into said rail to thereby position thespring upon the rail. r

3. The method of replacing the hammer butt spring of a piano actionwhich consists in providing the replacement spring with a tack holdingloop disposed to releasably retain a tack at right angles to the planeof the spring, with its point positioned for penetration into one faceof the hammer spring rail of the piano action, in lodging a tack in saidholding loop of the spring, and in pressing the tack while so held intosaid rail to thereby position the spring upon the rail.

4:. The method of replacing the hammer butt spring of a piano actionwhich consists in bending the spring upon itself to form therein a tackholding loop, in lodging the head of a tack in said loop with its pointdisposed for penetration into one face of the hammer spring rail of thepiano action, and in pressing the tack while so held into said rail tothereby position the spring upon the rail.

5. The method of replacing the hammer butt spring of a piano actionwhich consists in lodging the usual coil of the replacement spring overaeentering device, in bending the spring upon itself while "so lodged toform therein a tack holding loop, in lodging the head of a tack in saidloop with its point disposed for penetration into one face of the hammerspring rail of the piano action, and in pressing the tack while so heldinto said rail to thereby position the spring upon the rail.

6. A too-l for fastening a replacement spring to: the hammer spring railof a piano action, comprising a member having a mandrel over which thespring is adapted to be bent to form therein a tack holding loop, andpositioning means for disposing the formed spring with a tack assembledtherein in position to be forced into one face of said rail. i

7. A tool for fastening a replacement spring tothe hammer spring rail ofa piano action, comprising a member having a mandrel over which thespring i adapted to be bent to form therein a tack holding loop, andpositioning means with which. the usual coil of the replacement springis engageable for disposing the formed spring with a tack assembledthereon in position to be forced into one face of said rail.

8. A tool for fastening to the hammer spring rail of a piano action ahammer butt replacement spring having the usual spring coil between itsends and having a tack holding loop adjacent said coil, comprising amember having a centering pin over which said coil is engageable todispose the spring with a tack assembled thereon in position to beforced into one face of said rail.

9. A tool for fastening a replacement spring to the hammer spring railof a piano action, comprising a pair of crossed handle members havingoppositely disposed formingv and assembling jaws, said forming jawhaving means whereby a tack holding loop may be formed in thereplacement spring while said spring is temporarily retained upon saidjaw, and said assembling jaw constructed and arranged to receive andreleasably clamp the formed spring when it is removed from the formingjaw and a tack inserted into said tack holding loop with its pointpositioned for penetration into one face of the spring rail when thejaws are applied to opposite faces of said rail and pressed towards eachother, said clamping means of the assembling jaw automatically releasingthe spring upon a freeing movement of the tool in a lateral directionafter the tack has been set in the rail.

'10. A tool for fastening a replacement spring to the hammer spring railof a piano action, comprising a pair of pivoted handle members havingoppositely disposed forming and assembling jaws, said forming jaw havingmeans for engaging the coil of the replacement spring to temporarilyretain the spring upon said jaw and having means whereby a tack holdingloop may be formed in said spring while said coil is engaged, and saidassembly jaw having means for engaging the coil of said sprinlg totemporarily retain the spring upon said jaw after it has been removedfrom the forming jaw and having means for releasably clamping the springbeyond said coil while a tack is inserted into said tack holding loopwith its point positioned for penetration into one faceof the springrail when the jaws are applied to the opposite faces of said rail andpressed towards each other, said clamping means of theassembling jawautomatically releasing the spring upon a freeing movement of the toolin a lateral direction after the tack has been set in the rail.

11. A tool for fastening a replacement spring to the hammer sprin railof a piano action comprising a pair of crossed handle members havingoppositely disposed jaws, one of said jaws having means to temporarilyreceive the coil of the replacement spring while a tack holding deviceis being formed on said spring, and the opposite jaw having means totemporarily receive the coil of the spring when the spring is removedfrom the first-named jaw and a tack inserted in said tack holding devicewhereby when the jaws are applied to opposite faces of the hammer springrail and pressed towards each other the tack lodged in said tack holdingdevice will be forced into said rail.

12. A tool' for fastening a replacement spring to the hammer spring railof a piano action comprising a pair of crossed handle members havingoppositely disposed jaws,

one of'said jaws having a pair of projections disposed at ri ht anglesto each other and over one of which the coil of the replacement springis adapted. to be placed with the body portion of said spring beyondsaid coil disposed beneath the other projection for twisting movementtherearound to provide a tack holding loop in the spring, the oppositejaw having a projection over which the coil of the formed spring isadapted to be centered when removed from the first-named jaw and a tackinserted in said tack holding loop, whereby When the jaws are applied toopposite "faces of the hammer spring rail and pressed towards each otherthe tack lodged in said tack holding loop will be forced into said rail.

13. A tool for fastening a replacement spring to the hammer spring railof a piano action comprising a pair of crossed handle members havingoppositely disposed jaws, one of said jaws having a pair of projectionsdisposed at right angles to each other and over one of which the coil ofthe replacement spring is adapted to be inserted ame with the'bodyportion of said spring beyond said coil disposed beneath the other pinfortwisting movement 'therearound to provide a tack holding loop inthespring, the opposite jaw having a projection over which the coil ofthe. formed spring is adap ted to be centered when removed from thefirst-named jaw and ata ck inserted in said tack holding loop, andhaving a holding clip HDCl Q I' WhlQh the free end of the spring beyondthe tack holding loop is adapted to be laid whereby when thejaws areapplied to opposite faces of'the hammer spring-rail and.pressed-towardseach other the tack lodged in vsaid'tack holding loopwill be forced. into said railythe holding clip automatically releasingthe spring upon a reeing movement ofthe tool in aulateral dirpction thetack has been set'in the rai In testimony whereof I alliX in thepresence-of two witsesses.

' WlLLIAM JAMES TIFFAN Witnesses:

ANDREW GRANT, SILVESTER B. GRANT.

'si n atiire

